Photograph by Sarah McCosham
I’ve been on this planet almost 40 years, and the older I get, the less I know.
What I mean is that with age comes wisdom and I feel like the more life experiences I have, the more I realize that there is just so much to this world that I will never know or understand.
Welcome to my mind.
The happy flip side of aging is that I find myself becoming more and more curious with each passing day. I have a notebook where I track both these thoughts—the big questions and minutiae—each quandary creating a cascade of other quandaries. A rabbit hole of endless questions. Curiouser and curiouser!
The Cincinnati Museum Center is the perfect place for my inquisitive mind; whether it’s journeying back to prehistoric times or experiencing Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon, the CMC never fails to “put me there” and satisfy my curiosities of the day.
This immersive experience is what the CMC does best, and the “newest” exhibition is no exception. Pompeii: The Exhibition tells the story of this famous ghost city: on August 24, 79 A.D., the thriving and vibrant city of Pompeii was buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. It was the ultimate disappearing act…or was it?
Photograph by Sarah McCosham
Because somehow, against all odds, Pompeii lay hidden and perfectly preserved. Time stood still in this ancient city, a forgotten place waiting patiently to be (re)discovered…even as the world kept moving.
So what is there to discover? An entire civilization. Pompeii was a bustling commercial port and trading center with a sophisticated civilization and military. The CMC exhibit features more than 150 authentic artifacts from Pompeii; everything from mosaics and armor to furniture, kitchen utensils, jewelry, and tools. Reproductions, holograms, and 4D video create a total-sensory experience that’s, frankly, overwhelming.
Photograph by Sarah McCosham
My kids were gobsmacked by the 4D presentation of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius; its extreme heat and gasses preserving Pompeii’s residents amid the chaos and cacophony of the deadly volcano. Julian, who’s into D&D and Warhammer, enjoyed the holographic gladiatorial combat. For an additional fee, there’s a VR experience that lets you “fly” above the skies of Pompeii.
Photograph by Sarah McCosham
I found myself moved to tears by the entire experience. How can an entire civilization just…vanish? Did Pompeii’s residents know what was happening when the volcano began to erupt? Could something similar happen to us?
Luckily, my kids brought me back to the present and I am quite happy here. I’m going to write those questions in my notebook and keep living my life. Because for me, if there’s a lesson to be learned from Pompeii, it’s that the world is wild, but wonderful, and all we can do is live in the moment…and enjoy.
Pompeii: The Exhibition runs through July 28, 2024, at the Cincinnati Museum Center and an exhibition ticket is required.
Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate
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